Abstract
Background and Objective: The most popular tocotrienol preparation, tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), offers the best biological and antioxidant properties. This investigation aims to ascertain the impact of TRF on the overall expression of proteins in the liver of mice. Materials and Methods: Two groups of mice were created: A control group (n = 6) and a group treated with 500 mg kg–1 (n = 6). Following a 14-day course of therapy, the mice were killed and their livers were separated. After the livers were homogenised, Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed on the soluble cytosolic fractions. The 2-DE gels stained with Coomassie Blue were scanned and 2-DE gel spot analysis software was used to examine the resulting images. Twelve gels in total were examined (six for every group). Results: For every gel, about three hundred spots were detected. Differential expression of twelve protein spots was observed in the livers of mice treated with a tocotrienol-rich fraction. Five of the proteins are acidic proteins, while seven of them are basic proteins. The TRF downregulated three protein spots and upregulated nine protein spots. These findings suggest that TRF profoundly influences several proteins and simultaneously regulates a multitude of biochemical pathways. Conclusion: It is hypothesized that some of the proteins that are differentially expressed might be the liver antioxidant proteins and cytoprotective enzymes. Further analysis of the gel spots by mass spectrometry is needed to identify the proteins involved.